Mr. Mutati says investors talked to by the Zambian and Zimbabwean governments at the just ended Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Power Project Investors Conference have shown interest to invest in the project.
The minister says the overwhelming response to the conference by investors who include the African Development Bank, World Bank, European Investment Bank, private banking sector and property developers has given confidence to the two governments.
Mr. Mutati also told ZNBC news at the close of the conference in Livingstone that the Zambia and Zimbabwean governments will now start talking to ordinary people from the two countries on various opportunities that will be derived from the project.
He says the two governments want ordinary Zambians and Zimbabwean to take advantage and have ownership of the project through among other things shareholding, career and business opportunities.
And Japanese Ambassador to Zambia Hidenobu Sobashima says the Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Power Project is good investment and will encourage his government and Japanese companies to invest in the project.
And representative of Power China Feng Jing Jun says his company, like many other Chinese companies are interested in investing in the project because of its viability.
The duo was speaking in separate interviews with ZNBC News during a site tour of the Batoka Gorge.
Meanwhile African Development Bank Vice President Amadou Hott says the bank will by July this year approve up to two hundred and fifty million dollars requested by the Zambian government to address the country’s energy crisis.
Mr. Hott told ZNBC News in an interview at the close of the conference that this will help Zambia recover from the power deficit and improve the liquidity of Zesco through reforms.
So why is it taking this long to grant contracts. There is a deliberate delay by pf government in order to force desperate bidders to pay an inducement in the form of brown envelope to ensure they are granted contract. It is the same story at every public institution in Zambia under pf. I was recently at ministry of lands and the pathetic cadres there did everything in their hands to frustrate the process in the hope of me paying them. I simply told them that they are now suffering after voting a thief in and that over my dead body I will never pay to get a service I already pay tax for. Zambia is failed state
Both Zambia and Zimbabwe are broke and have no capacity to take on new loans. Both are failed States ruled by Dictators. In Zimbabwe a 93 year old while in emerging and Illegitimate Dictator in the name Chakolwa Lungu. No long term financiers will be interested in financing the Batoka Gorge with guarantees from these 2 govts